Coin-freed weighing apparatus



y 3 c BRADLEY 1,758,141

COIN FREED WEIGHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 6, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1[7206725075 Leslie afiradley May 13, 1930. L. c. BRADLEY COIN FREEDWEIGHING APPARATUS Filed Oct 6, 1927 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fnvenfior LeslieC(Bfadle? 5M '5. kzsflllarney Patented d May 13, 1930 UNETED STATSLIMYZVETE'D, soHo rou nRY, F BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND COIN-FREED WEIGHINGAnal-terns Application filed October 6, 1927, Serial Nd. 224,379, and inGreat Britain Decenilir 18, 1926.' V

This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to coinfreed Weighing apparatus. 1

In connection with coin freed weighing apparatus it is foundthat theapparatus is particularly susceptible to fraudulent operation in thatwith suitable precautions-it is possible to obtain the weighment ofmorethan one person by the insertion of a single coin.

1 "Means have heretoforebeen devised for preventing fraudulentmanipulation but such means as havebeenproposedpreviously have 7 eitherbeenof arelatively intricate nature or have necessitated a positiveconnection with an operative part or parts ofthe Weighing mechanism and,hence, have beenobjectionable on these grounds.

The present invention has for its object the provision of an improvedcoin freed weighmg apparatus which is efiiCleIlt 1n operation,

simple in construction, and substantially fraud proof. 1 m The inventionconsists of an improved coi freed weighing apparatus wherein the lockingand unlocking of the indicating mechanism is governed by a trip leveradapted to be released by a coin said lever being provided with meanswhich co-operate with a member controlled from an operative part of theweighing mechanism whereby subsequent to the release of the trip leverby a coin the indicating mechanism is only maintained in an unlockedposition so long as there is a constant Weight upon the weighingplatform, any addition or reduction in the weight automaticallyreturning the trip lever to a locking position, the aforesaid meanspreferably comprising a depending, freely pivoted pawl the nose whereofis adaptedto invention also resides in th'e'provision of means forpreventing the operationof the machine other than by coins of thespecified denomination. e

The invention will now be described with rejection device seen in Figure4:. 1

A" weighing platformns supported in known manner on a lever system whlchis rest on the periphery of a rotatable disc conparticular, reference tothe accompanying sheet of drawings,- wherein Figure 1 is a rearelevation of sufficient of ing of the invention and showing the meansfor locking the indicatlng mechanism 1n the locking position,parts ofthe weighing. apparatus being omitted, where desirable, for the sake ofclearness. v

Figure 2 is a part sectional and elevation of the portion ofthe coinfreed weighing apparatus seen in Figure 1. Figure Elisa detail View,ftoan enlarged LESLIE GLIIFIFFORD BRADLEY, 0F BIRMiNGI-IAM, ENGL ND,ASSIGNOR T0 W. & TQAVERY scale, of the means of locking the indicatingmechanism, the said means :being shown in the unlocked position- Figure4 isa detail View, to-an enlarged.

scale, of the device for rejecting coinssmaller insize than the coinspecified for use with the apparatus, and

Figure, 5 is a verticals'ection of the coin adapted for connectionthrough a draw-rod to the indicating mechanism, said rod being locatedwithin a hollowve'rtical pillar connecting the base portion oftheweighingmachine and acircular housing 6 within which the indicatingmechanism and the mechanism to be hereinafter describedis located. The

upper end of thedraw rod has connection with a hook 7* formed at thelower end of a connecting rod 7 which ispivotally mounted at its upperend'on knife-edges secured intermediate the ends of one arm 8* of alever whichis fulcrumed on knife-edges 9 supported in bearings 10carried bya bracket ll 'fixed to the peripheralrim'ofthe housing 6.'Depending from knife-edges 8 secured adj acentthe end of the other arm 8of said lever is shackle 12 which has connection with a'coil' springresistant 13 the other end whereof is anchored to the housing. Adjacentits point of connection to the spring the lever is provided withan'outwardly projectingpi'n 14 which engages and works within anelongated slot l5 formed in the upper end of a substantially verticallydisposed link the other end whereof is pivotally connected to an arm ofan overweighted lever 16 the inner end whereof is pivotally con nectedto a bracket carrying a rack 17. This rack meshes with a pinion 18 fixedintermediate the endslof :a: spindle 19 rotatably mounted in bearingscarried by a bracketsecuredto the housing, said spindle 19 having 7fixed to the outer end thereof-- an indicating pointer 20 whichregisters with a graduated circular dial 21 in known manner. 7

Adjustably secured to a 'bush 22 attached to the rearendofthe spindle 19is aloneway ratchet wheel 23 (see Figure-3) adapted tocdoperate with adetent 24 which is'pivotally mountedirr jaws formed: at one end of atrip lever 25 fulcrumed on the bracket the other end of thesaidlever-being provided with a projecting ledge 25? disposed within afcoinchute 26 and, in the pathof a coin during its passage from ajcoin slot-27; to a collecting receptacle; Pivotally attached to the trip lever 25adjacent the jawed .end

thereofgand depending therefrom is a pawl-' like member 28 thenosewhereof is adapted to contact withthe smooth periphery ofiacirculardisc 29 rotatably mounted in-bearings carried from thesupporting bracket.

, Projecting from the rear-face of the disci is Theouter end of the arm8 of the main lever has pivotal connection to the piston rod 32 of adashpot' 33 of known construction. I r r I The coin slot 27 'is formedinfront of the housing and communicates with the coin chute 26 whichdirects the coinon; to the projecting ledge 25 onthe tripl'ever 25V andsubsequentlyv to the collecting receptacle. The coin slot 27 is made ofsuch a size that only coins of the sameior of a lesserdiameter than thespecified coin can be inserted in the slot. The coin chute 26 isprovided in its length with. a cut-away section 26 which co-operateswith a slidable plate 34 having a pin and slot connection with the saidchute whereby the plate can be adjusted so that thedepth of thecoinchute at the cut-away portion can be made to conform with a tolerancelimit exactly to the diameter of the coin specified for use with themachine. At the said'cut-away' portion 26 the coin chute 26 isinclinedoutwardly (see Figure 4) whereby coins smaller than thespecified coin are autematically dischargedjthrough the cutaway section26 and allowed to fall into a weighing platform the pull of the load istransferred through the draw-rod and connecting rod? to the main leverand thence to the spring resistant 13 which is extended an amountaccording to the load. The motion of the main lever effectsadi'splacement of the pin 14 within the slot 15 and thereby deter-.mines the degree of upward movement per mittedto the overweighted lever16 upon the release of the indicating mechanism as. the said lever canonly move in an upward direction until the bottom of theslot 15 comesinto contact with the stop pin l l. The movement of the" lever 16through the rack 17 -carried thereby and the -pinion. l8 effects the Vrotation of the indicating pointer 20. Upon the insertion of a coin thecoin travels-along the coin chute 26 and asthe placing of the weighingplatform under load has removed the projection in the lever from withinthe coin chute 26 the coin passes completely 7 through the coin chute 26and falls on to the projecting ledge, 25*. on the outer arm of the triplever 25 thereby depressing the said arm and raising the inner armupwardlywhereby the detent 2etis removed from engagement with theratchet wheel 23. Theraising' of the inner arm of thetrip lever25'all0ws the pawl-like member 28 to pivot 'anddepend in a'verticalposition (see Figure 3) and upon the ejection of the coin into thecollectingref ceptacle (not shewn) the nose of the said pawl-like member28 impingesand rests on the'smooth periphery of the rotatable disc 29and prevents the downward .motion ofthe outer arm of the trip leverthereby prevent ing there-engagement ofthe detent 24 with the ratchetwheel 23 and permitting of the rotation of the indicatingpointer and.the completion of the weighing, operation.

When this has been efiected any attempt to alter the weight on theweighing platform results in armotion of the connecting .rod 7*and henceof the yoke 31 and arm 30 connected thereto any movement of the arm .30being communicated to andefi'ecting a' rotation of;

the circular disc 29. The rotation of this disc 29 in eitherdirection'carrics the nose of the pawl-like memberx28 with it in the(Ill? rection of rotation. The support of the in- '1 ner arm' of thetrip lever 25 is; thus removedw andthe said arm falls and allows thedetent.- 24 to re-engage with the ratchet wheel23.

thereby locking the indicating 'pointer20',

' to zero position under the action of the spring resistant 13, thedetent 24 and ratchet 23 permitting the requisite one-way rotation.

It will be appreciated that aweighing apparatus constructed ashereinbefore described ensures that only one weighment can be effectedfor each insertion of a coin and by reason of the trip mechanism beingentirely separate from the weighing mechanism the denominations with aspecified maximum diameter without necessitating any separate balancingor other operation, the only adjustment necessary being that of themovable plate 34 relatively to the chute whereby it is ensured that theapparatus can only be actuated by coins of the absolute dimensions ofthe specified coin.

Claims 7 1. A coin freed weighing apparatus comprising a load supportingmeans, an automatic weight indicating mechanism connected with said loadsupporting means, a rotatable weight indicator forming part of saidmechanism, a ratchet wheel rotatable with but fixed relatively to saidindicator, a trip lever,

a detent carried at one end of said trip lever and adapted to co-operatewith said ratchet wheel for normally locking the aforesaid indicator,means for directing a coin on to the other end of the trip lever forfreeing the detent from the ratchet wheel, a rotatable disc, a pawldepending from and pivotally connected to said trip lever, the nose ofsaid pawl subsequent to the disengagement of the detent from the ratchetwheel, being adapted to rest on the peripheral edge of said disc andthereby to maintain the detent out of en-- gagement with the ratchetwheel and means for connecting the rotatable disc to the weighingmechanism whereby any change of load whenthe detent is disengagedeifectsthrough the said disc a displacement of the pawl with theconsequential return of the detent into its locking position. 7

2. A coin freed weighing apparatus comprising a load supporting means, aweighing resistant connected with said means. a rotat-able weightindicator, means for effecting the rotation of said indicator, a lostmotion linkage connecting said resistant to said last mentioned means, aratchet wheel rotatable with but fiixed relatively to said indicator, atrip lever, a detent carried at one end of said trip lever andladaptedto co-op'erate with said ratchet wheel for normally locking theaforesaid indicator, means for directing a coin on to the other end ofthe trip lever for freeing the detent from the ratchet wheel andpermitting a rotation of the indicator, a rotatable disc having a smoothperipheral edge, a pawl depending from and pivotally connected to saidtrip lever, the nose of said pawl'subsequent to the disengagement of thedetent from the ratchet wheel being adapted to rest on theperipheraledgeof said disc and thereby to maintain .the detentout ofengagesaid disc a disp-lacement of the pawl with the consequentialreturn of the detent into its locking position. apparatus can beemployed with coins of all.-

rotatable with but fixed relatively tosaid in;

dicator, a coin slot, a coin receiving receptacle, a com chute fordirecting COlIlS 1nserted in said slot to the receiving receptacle,

a trip lever, a. detent carried at one end of said trip lever andadapted to co-operate with said ratchet wheel for normally preventingthe rotation of said indicator, a projection in the othercnd of saidtrip lever, said projection being disposed within the, coin chutewhereby it may be struck by a falling coin and caused to rock the triplever for freeing the detent from the ratchet wheel, a rotatable dischaving a smooth peripheral edge, a pawl depending from and pivotallyconnected to said trip lever, the nose of said pawl resting on theperiphery of the disc and maintaining the detent out of engagementwith'the ratchet subsequent to the initial disengagement of' the detentfrom the said wheel'consequent upon an inserted coin striking theprojection on the trip lever, and a crank rod connecting the disc withthe means for connecting the 1 weighing resistant mechanism to the leversystem whereby any change of load on the weighing platform subsequent tothe disengagement of the detent effects a rotation of the disc and aconsequential displacement of the pawl and a return of the detent to itslocking position.

4. A- coin prisinga load supporting means, weight indicating mechanismconnected with said load sequent to the disengagement of said lever fromthe ratchet wheel, being adapted. to rest freed weighing apparatuscomon-the peripheral" edge of said disc, and there by to maintainthelever out of engagement with the ratchet Wheel, and means forconnecting the rotatable disc to the Weighing mechanism whereby any changeof load when name to this specification. r

: LESLIE CLIFFORD BRADLEY.

whereof I have signed my

